Jalapeno Pepper Jack Beef Patty. Pepperoni Pizza Slice. Chicken Chunks. Lemon Pepper Tuna. Beef Goulash. Vegetarian Taco Pasta. We took a look at all the popular MREs out there to find which ones are the best. Not only that, but we also go into the best practices on how to store, prepare, and consume these meals for safety and efficiency. Over 17h of Research. Contrary to popular belief, there are actually a number of different meal types you can get as well.
You should note, though, that an MRE is not regular food. It is best to avoid depending on them during a prolonged period of time and cook proper meals instead see An Important Note below. There will also be miscellaneous items like an accessory pack with the necessary utensils, creamer, and regular or hot sauce for whatever the meal is.
Some even go as far as to include toilet paper, BBQ, cheddar cheese, marinara sauce, tortillas, jalapenos, chewing gum, and moist towelette. Dessert is usually focused on chocolate, sweets, cookies, and cakes that are long-lasting, such as pound cake.
But it all depends on the manufacturer, your taste, and of course, your budget. We came up with this list of the best ready-to-eat meals by sourcing feedback and sampling them ourselves. This made it easy to do a deep dive into each of the MREs to find out which ones we liked the most.
Western Frontier has been shipping some of the best products in this category for a while now. The company has been in the game for years. There have been reports of some buyers getting shipments with ripped boxes or even meal packages, but that seems to be a fairly uncommon issue. There will be some you love, some you hate, and many that you tolerate.
When it comes to a solid all-around MRE case that has a good track record of intact packaging upon delivery, this case from Western Frontier is definitely a good option. A-Pack is another company that has been doing a great job packaging and delivering some of the best MREs out there. They have been recommended by many world-class survivalists over the years, and they get two thumbs up from us as well.
These are all meals that are designed to feel hearty and filling and hopefully taste pretty good too. This Thai Curry pack is highly rated, and at 20 grams of protein and calories, it can power you through most of a day of outdoor adventures. Nonetheless, these minimally processed meals with all-natural ingredients are great for anyone.
They boast no antibiotics and no preservatives; just real food. This pack of chili has a substantial 36 grams of protein and calories.
Bridgeford has developed a pocket sandwich, similar to that of a Hot Pocket or pasty for our Midwestern readers , so you can switch it up from time to time. There are a couple of ways you can get an MRE. The most common method involves the use of Flameless Ration Heaters. Start by filling your saucepan with water. Make sure to only fill it halfway. Bring the water to a boil using a burner or your stovetop. Once boiling, you can reduce the heat to medium or medium-high.
Take out the MRE pouch from the box and place it into the boiling water. Let it stay in the saucepan for about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the burner and pour the water out. This will make it easy for you to remove the pouch.
Once out of the water, open the pouch and your MRE is ready. The shelf life of MRE meals is highly affected by temperature. If you store your pack at degrees Fahrenheit, it will only be viable for around 9 months. If you keep it at room temperature, it can last for at least three years. If you want your pack to last for several years, you can consider refrigerating it.
Compared with older versions, modern MRE packs have a shorter lifespan. This is partly due to the change in ingredients. Back then, MREs are made with freeze-dried ingredients which generally last longer. There, you should be able to see a four-digit Julian code. The first digit runs from 0 to 9 while the remaining numbers run from 1 to The first digit identifies the year of production.
The last three numbers refer to the day of the year of production. Apart from that, you may also see an inspection date. This refers to the date the MRE pack needs to be inspected if they were placed in storage.
As mentioned, hot places are not the ideal spots to store MREs. They have low moisture content which means you have to store them in a cool dark place. If you want to keep your MRE pack viable for a long time, you can put it in the freezer and leave it there. Take note of what you put on and around it. If you compare eating MREs with eating fresh fruits and vegetables, the answer would be no. However, with their calorie content and shelf life, they serve their purpose.
A soldier who eats three MRE meals in a single day should be getting the recommended daily allowance of calories, vitamins, and minerals as recommended by the military. MREs, in general, are not supposed to be served as daily meals. They are only offered to soldiers to help them get through their present mission. If you find yourself in a situation where you have no other option but to eat MREs for several days, there are things you can do to minimize its effect on your digestive system.
Because constipation is a serious problem with the long-time consumption of MREs, make sure to take a good multivitamin. They can make it easy for you to pass stool. Take note that eating lots of MREs can be very bad for your stomach. MREs are designed for quick meals without the need for any special preparation.
They undergo sublimation or freeze-drying which involves preparing, seasoning, cooking, and flash freezing them. The entire process can take anywhere between 24 to 48 hours. With freeze-drying, food items are able to retain their flavor, shape, and texture. You can reconstitute them in just 5 to 10 minutes. All you need to do is add hot water. Civilian and military MREs generally last for a couple of years. Since soldiers are positioned in warm to hot places, they are only able to keep their MREs for a few months.
Civilians, on the other hand, can store their packs at a more favorable temperature, allowing them to last longer. For one, military MRE packs specifically state that they are not for resale. They are just for soldiers and servicemen. Meanwhile, civilian MREs have fancier packaging. They may even have logos on them.
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